16 Jul 2014

Control Data Usage on your Android phone

Any smartphone user would be storing most of the content online via cloud computing using utilities like Dropbox, Google Drive, etc. Most of them are now morre social with facebook, twitter and other social networking sites, which means more data usage. If you have limited data plans, you have to either control or decrease the data usage by tweaking some apps os settings.

Applications always keep running in the background, even if you’re using the app or not. They always eat up data to update content or version and hence we need to control them.

Below are some of the recommended options that can be taken to keep data usage under control

1) Update Apps only using Wi-fi
To control data updates, you can opt to use wi-fi in google play settings. Go to google play store Menu > Settings > Auto-update apps. Change to “Auto-update apps over wifi only”.
You can also turn off auto-update, but choosing it will mean that you have to update the app manually, when required.

Auto update apps over Wifi setting

2) Configuring in-app data settings
The installed apps also need to update your content to give you a bettter experience. For example Facebook uploads your photos as soon as they’re captured. So we can turn off those setting for data sucking apps that come by default with Android. It’s good to do it manually according to your wish.

3) Restrict / disable Preloading and Caching
Some apps tend to pre-load resources (download resources prior to even loading them) or cache frequenty used data or services. For example Google Maps, download maps once viewed so that you can view them later on without data. This makes the app less demanding for data and you can load the content more smoothly. This feature is included in almost all the apps today.

Option to limit data usage

Option to update on Wifi

4) Restrict background Data
Some of the apps consume a lot of background data. So you need to search for them by going to Settings > Data usage. Here you’ll find all the apps that are using your data.Tap one of the app that consumes data in background eg Youtube. Tap on it, and look at the left of the pie chart. You’ll find two terms- “foreground” and “background”, foreground means the data used by app while it is running and background shows data used by it when it’s not running. If you feel its using much background data, than you can restrict it by ticking “Restrict background data”.

Restrict background data

5) Control the Sync settings
Many apps use sync settings so that you are notified whenever a new data content or something new has come in eg Gmail, Facebook ,Twitter and Linkedin.These apps will be continually pinging the servers of app to find if any data has updated. This will cost you data and also battery loss, hence you can choose to turn it off.

Restricting Sync settings in app

6) Restrict preload of streaming app content
This is similar to data preload, except that it is for streaming app content. One of the best example for streaming content apps is youtube. Youtube has option to preload the videos when you’re on wifi or your phone’s charging. Thus, for all those streaming apps you should activate this feature.

7) Turning off unrequired Sync options
By default all the apps come with some sync settings on. For example, Google apps consume too much data just for updating purpose for its various product variants. To change the sync settings head to Settings > Accounts > Google. If you have multiple accounts, tap on the account you dont want be synced and turn off the sync. Same folllows for all other accounts and apps. If you want to enable later on, you can fo it manually.

Temporary sync off can also help you when you’re out for night or when you really don’t need your phone. For that go to Settings > Data Usage > Menu > “Auto-sync data” and uncheck it.

Disabling unrequired Sync settings

Some Apps to help you track data usage
The above methods will help you control the data, but you wont be certain unless you measure it and compare with the actual usage you are charged with. There are various apps which can do so. Some of the most popular apps are:

1) Net Counter
Net Counter comes with a simple interface and can be used with ease. The app allow you to monitor the data consumed over the network as well as Wi-Fi. The app would also allow you to set counters like the rest.

2) Information Counter Widget
The application just comes in manifestation of a gadget and is not like an undeniable application. On the other hand, it has all the peculiarities much the same as the ones specified previously. The information counters come in diverse structures for distinctive classifications which are offered in pleasant representation on the home screen.

3) Onavo Count
Onavo Count additionally empowers you to utmost your information utilization. It would additionally caution you to close all the points of confinement by simply the popup or notice bar cautions. A percentage of alternate things which you could do with this application are hogg the information, piece information access for distinctive applications.

4) My Data chief
This application would empower you to get data
about the information being utilized on your Android Phone. The
application has been displayed in an extremely basic way and can without
much of a stretch be utilized by the clients to separate between Wi-Fi
information, Roaming Data and Mobile Data. The application additionally
permits you to set download limits for consistently. Besides, you can
positively rundown down which application is expending what measure of
information.

5) 3g Watchdog
On the off chance that you have a constrained information arrange and consider how you can stay inside your apportioned breaking points then this is the application to try for. The application would permit you to set the cutoff points and give warnings when your utilization comes closer as far as possible. The way that it likewise accompanies its own particular home screen gadget makes it truly valuable also.